Are You Serious?
by Isis Aurora Tomoe
Summary: A Kim/Jared one-shot inspired by the need to make Kim different. May make it a series of one-shots, depending on the reaction. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

AN: So, the majority of Kim/Jared fics, while good, are kind of repetitive. Either Kim is the shy outcast, or she's a rock/emo/whatever outcast Why couldn't Kim be just a girl with an attitude and a low bullshit tolerance? So, this one-shot is my version of Jared imprinting on a very different Kim. (That, and I have NO inspiration for my other Kim/Jared fic. It's boring the hell out of me.)

Are You Serious?

I have a crush on Jared Tawa. Yeah, I'm woman enough to admit it. But unfortunately for me, he likes his girls a little more...docile. That's enough to make any girl salty, at the very least a little irritated, right? After he turned me down in tenth grade, I said fuck it. He doesn't see that I am _clearly_ one of the baddest bitches in this school, his loss.

Then came junior year. Jared and I weren't friends by any means, but we were nice enough to each other. We'd been partnered for a few projects, nothing major, so I knew he didn't outright hate my guts. He just wasn't interested in me. Then late fall, early winter, he left school for two weeks. Disappeared without a word to his girlfriend, his friends, not even the teachers knew what was going on.

The main reason _I_ was pissed, was that we had been assigned a huge project to work on in Spanish class, and he dipped before we could even start on it. I may be a self-proclaimed 'badass diva', but even I know that my badassness isn't going to pay bills, or get me off this boring ass reservation. That was going to take good grades and a lot of teachers' ass kissing. Señora Rodriguez told me that since I was so advanced, I could complete the project on my own, or at least until Jared showed back up. She said I could have a few extra days to complete it, thank God.

The first I heard of Jared's reappearance was his very public breakup with his girlfriend Danielle. I had just gotten to my locker, and was talking casually with my friend John when we heard the sound of shrieking. John and I exchanged startled looks and turned to pinpoint the source of the godawful screeching.

"You can't just _break up_ with me, Jared Tawa! What happened to you?"

"Dani, I don't want to talk about it. I'm sorry, but I can't do this any more." Jared's deep voice was quiet, but the students in the hallway were quieter. His every word carried perfectly.

"We were perfect before you left! What do you mean you can't do this any more?"

"Dani, I'm sorry. You're making a scene. Please calm down."

Danielle's perfectly made up eyes were watering as she stared up at Jared. Without another word, she spun on her heel and hurried into the girl's room, followed closely by her clones. Jared rubbed the bridge of his nose and turned away. As he did, our eyes met briefly and he looked...well he looked like someone had popped him a good one, directly in his eye. John tugged on my arm. "Yo, what's wrong with Tawa?" He asked quietly, leading me away.

"No fucking clue. So, I'm not crazy?"

"He was eye-fucking you so hard, _I_ almost got pregnant," John said, pursing his lips and giving me a long look. "Something you aren't telling your bestie?"

I laced my arm through his. "Boo, please. You know he doesn't like his girls with _any_ spice." I tossed my hair over my shoulder, glimpsing Jared out the corner of my eye. He was standing in that same spot, watching me. I could feel his eyes on me until I turned the corner.

"I don't care what you say, he was eyeballing you _hard_."

I shrugged. "Eh. Let's get to homeroom."

I pushed Jared's weird behavior to the back of my mind, at least until Spanish class. Señora Rodriguez was overjoyed to have Jared back, and she motioned him over towards my seat so we could talk about our project. The minute he took his seat, he started staring at me. I busied myself gathering up the information I'd collected, biting my lip to keep from saying something really rude. "So, I decided to do the project on Chile. Is that cool?"

"Whatever you say," Jared said, smiling brightly at me.

I raised an eyebrow. "Okay...well, for the project, I thought I would make some of the food the country is known for, if you want to prepare a visual aid or something. We can split up the speaking portion."

"Okay," he said cheerfully. He rested his chin in his hand and started _staring_ at me. Like full on, barely blinking _staring_. I put up with it for all of two minutes before my inner bitch came out.

"Is there a particular reason you're staring at me, Tawa?" I asked edgily.

Jared looked completely oblivious to my attitude. "I'm finally seeing how beautiful you are. I was really stupid to not see it before."

Up until that moment, I hadn't been sure how far I could actually open my mouth. Turns out, it's pretty damn far. I closed it with a snap. I managed to snap out, "How about you focus on the project and not how beautiful I am?"

"Only if I can take you out to dinner after the project is finished."

"What makes you think I want to go anywhere with you?" I asked, more out of curiosity than spite.

"I'm being optimistic. If you don't, or you've got a boyfriend, I wouldn't be surprised."

"Didn't you _just_ break up with your girlfriend today?"

"Yeah. We weren't right for each other."

"But apparently you think _we_ are?"

"If you let me take you out, I can prove it."

"You know what? If we get an A on this project, you can take me out to dinner. And that's only _if_."

Jared's cheeks nearly split from his grin, I swear. "Great!"

I rolled my eyes and began sifting through the recipes I had compiled, wondering what the fuck I had gotten myself into.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Still not sure if I'm going to make this a full length fic or not. I'm just going with the flow. I only do what my muses tell me. Forgot the disclaimer first chapter: I don't own any of the characters presented in this work of fanfiction.

Part 2

"Jared, Kim, your presentation on Chile was amazing," Señora Rodriguez gushed, setting down our individual reports. Jared quickly flipped his over, and that same giant, goofy grin I had been seeing for a week appeared. He turned his paper so I could see the A+ scribbled at the top of the page. I slowly raised a hand to my face, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Fuck," I muttered. Jared was almost levitating with excitement.

"So, where do you want to go? What do you like to eat?"

I shrugged slowly. "I really don't care. You're paying."

"But it's our first date. How can I get to know you if you won't even tell me what kind of food you like?"

"Shogun."

"The sushi restaurant? So you like Japanese food?"

There's no way around it. I just nodded, thanking God when the bell rang. I speed-walked from the room, not realizing Jared was close behind.

"I'll pick you up Friday at six, Kim!" Jared called out. I swear, the hallway went from loud to dead quiet. You could have heard a pin drop. And then the shit hit the fan.

"What do you mean by _that_?" Danielle asked, marching up to Jared and glaring up at him.

"Kim and I agreed that if we got an A on our project, we'd go out to dinner."

"We haven't even been broken up a month yet! And Kim Bearheart? Are you fucking kidding me?"

At that moment, the students parted like the Red Sea, leaving me, Jared and Danielle standing in the middle of the hallway. I gently set my books on the floor, and wound my hair into a bun. "What does _that_ mean?"

"It means he went from class to trash," Danielle snapped, staring at my clothes in disgust. I definitely leaned more towards Jimmy Jazz and Man Alive than Aeropostale and Hollister. But my outfits are _always_ on point, and this bitch had the nerve to imply that _I_ looked like trash? Oh. Fuck. No.

I opened my mouth to curse her out, but Jared beat me to the punch. "Kim is beautiful, and you saying something like that only shows how ugly you really are on the inside," he said quietly. He made his way to my side, stooped to pick up my books, and intertwined our fingers, leading me away.

I was so shocked that it took a little while to find my voice, and by the time I did, we were in the parking lot. "What the hell, Jared? I don't need you fighting my battles for me!"

"I get that, but I just couldn't stand there and let her say those things about you. Plus, if you get suspended, I wouldn't be able to see you for a few days."

"Okay, I get that, but why the hell are we in the parking lot?"

"We're skipping." Jared said casually, leading me to his car.

"And going _where_? You might look like you're out of high school, but I don't."

"We're going to my house. I'll cook us some lunch and we can watch movies."

"What the _fuck_ makes you think I want to go to your house? If you think I'm gonna put out or something you better pump your fucking brakes, because I am _not_ that kind of girl," I hissed, pulling my hand from his grasp. I ignored the sense of loss I felt, focusing on the anger instead.

Jared looked completely surprised. "Kim, I would _never_ try anything with you without your permission. All I wanted to do was impress you with my cooking and watch movies. That's it, I swear." The look of surprise changed to one of sadness and rejection.

I must be getting soft because the next thing I knew, I was giving him a tiny smile and saying, "Okay, we can go."

Jared's face lit up with that giant grin, and he opened my door for me before setting my books in the backseat and hopping in to the driver's seat. He sped out of the parking lot, humming along to the song on the radio.

"So, why me again? Because the first time I asked you out, you turned me down." I asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.

Jared stopped humming and began tapping his fingers on the steering wheel nervously. "I guess I just...finally opened my eyes. Danielle was so shallow and insecure, but you're so confident and self-assured. And you really are beautiful. I was a real dumbass for turning you down."

"It's in the past now, I guess."

"So, maybe there's a chance we could start off fresh?" Jared pulled up to his house and hurried to open the door for me. He helped me out gently, almost like he was afraid I would break. He led me inside the house and to the kitchen.

"I don't see how it could hurt. We're both single, may as well try it," I said noncommittally as I took a seat on the bar stool that sat in front of the kitchen island.

"I made some tomato soup last night. That, maybe some grilled cheese and some sodas? Sound okay?"

"You made your own soup?"

"Yeah, I do it all the time. Do you cook?"

"Actually I do. But I really prefer baking."

"Really? What do you like to bake?" Jared took a pot of soup out of the fridge and put it on the stove to heat. Then he grabbed some white cheddar and white bread.

"Cupcakes mostly. But I've been experimenting with breads."

"Hey, do you like cherries?"

"Yes." I watched him spread cherry preserves on our sandwiches. "Um..." I gave him a look as he carefully added basil leaves to the sandwiches.

"Just trust me." Jared assured, grabbing a frying pan. "So, tell me about yourself."

"We've been in school together our whole lives. You have to know _something_ about me already."

"Not really. You don't talk to anyone other than John Baker. You guys aren't together, are you?"

"No. He's my best friend."

"Hey, are you thirsty? We have Coke, Sprite, water, orange juice..."

I perked up when he said sprite and orange juice. "Could I get a cup of Sprite with a splash of orange juice?"

Jared looked at me quizzically, but did as asked. I smiled.

"Is that any good?"

I held out the cup. "Try it."

Jared took a careful sip, and his eyes lit up. "Hey, that's really good." He fixed himself a cup before he turned back to his cooking.

I sipped at my drink quietly, not sure what to say. Jared solved that for me by asking a question about my favorite topic: music. While he cooked, I began talking about current music trends, who's who on the underground scene, and some bands I thought he would like. Jared had just finished the sandwiches when I realized I had been babbling. "Sorry."

"I like your voice. Do you sing?" Jared filled two bowls with soup and topped them with some croutons before placing the sandwiches on plates and setting one in front of me. He grabbed his drink before sitting down next to me.

"Only in the shower."

"Same here."

I hesitantly took a bite of the sandwich Jared had prepared. I was completely unprepared for the explosion of flavor on my tongue. The cheddar, the basil and the preserves made for one hell of a delicious sandwich. I must have eaten it in three seconds flat. Jared was watching with a look of awe in his eyes. Shit, the sandwich was so good I forgot my manners. I daintily wiped my lips with a napkin. "My bad. That was just really good."

"No, it's cool, I like a girl who eats."

I turned my attention to the soup, mostly to keep from blushing. The soup was just as good as the sandwich, with some spice I couldn't place. "What's in this?"

"It's a secret. If I tell you, I'd have to kill you," Jared said seriously.

"Fine, keep your secrets. It is really good though."

"Thank you. You should try my minestrone."

We didn't talk, but it was a comfortable kind of silence. It made me realize that the crush I'd tried to suppress was coming back full force, and this time it looked like I might get the guy after all.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: I'm glad you guys are enjoying this so far!

Chapter 3

"I'm really glad you said yes to dinner."

I shrugged. "It's free sushi. Who am I to say no?" The waitress approached us with our drinks, and stood poised to take our orders. I ordered my normal crunchy shrimp tempura roll and unagi, but Jared ordered just about one of everything. The waitress and I exchanged startled looks before turning to gape at Jared. "Won't all that make you sick?" I asked cautiously.

Jared snorted. "Nah! I can eat whatever I want and not get sick."

The waitress stared at him blankly for a few minutes, but at last she shrugged and walked off. "Are you sure?" I asked again.

"Trust me, Kim, I'm not gonna get sick," he reassured. A small grin spread across his face. "And even if I did, are you offering to nurse me back to health?"

I rolled my eyes. "No. If you get sick from being a pig, it's your own fault."

"So if I got a cold..." Jared arched an eyebrow at me expectantly.

I sucked my teeth. "Don't push your luck, Tawa."

"You mean I haven't pushed it yet?" He teased.

I took a long sip of my Sprite, choosing not to answer. Jared merely grinned widely.

"I think you like me," he stated, beaming.

"What makes you say that?"

"You're here, on a date with me, and unless I'm mistaken, your dimples are standing out, which means you think I'm amusing."

"You sure it's not just for the free food and that it's annoyance, not amusement?"

"Your dimples don't stand out when you're annoyed. They're really cute."

I could feel my ears turning pink, so I ducked my head, letting my hair cover them. "When did you become so flirtatious?"

"When I decided I wanted you to be my girlfriend."

I choked on my Sprite. Jared's eyes widened, and he hurried around to sit next to me, patting my back gently. "Jesus Christ, Jared! Why would you _say_ that?"

Jared returned to his seat, eyes wide and hurt. "What? You don't want to be my girlfriend?"

"We barely know each other."

"And that's why we're out on a date. I want to _get_ to know you and I want you to _get_ to know me."

Luckily, the waitress arrived with my food and a huge wooden boat with Jared's smorgasbord. Seriously, he better not get sick in front of me. I _hate_ seeing people throw up. I separated my chopsticks and began rubbing them together to get rid of the splinters. Jared began shoveling sushi in his mouth. I'm pretty sure he was swallowing them whole. I gaped at him briefly before my stomach gave a loud growl. Shrugging, I began nibbling on my own meal. It was delicious, per usual, and for a good while the only sounds were us enjoying our meal.

I only had five pieces of sushi, and Jared still managed to finish before me. He looked so adorably satisfied, I had to bite my lip to keep from smiling at him. He took a gulp of his Mountain Dew. "How was yours?"

"It was great. Yours?"

"Delicious."

"And you don't feel sick?"

Jared shook his head. "I could eat more, honestly."

"Please don't give our waitress a heart attack. She's gonna freak as soon as she notices that you finished everything you ordered."

"Wanna get a dessert? We could go to Cold Stone. Maybe split a sundae?" Jared's lower lip stuck out slightly as he pouted. Lord Jesus, just take me now, because I can't say no to him any more. He could ask me to fuck him on this table, and I would probably do it.

I managed a nonchalant shrug. "That sounds fine."

"Plus, it'll get the fish taste out of our mouths. I have every intention of kissing you good night, and I don't want it ruined because my breath smells like raw fish," Jared continued, eyes glinting.

"Did you seriously just tell me you plan on kissing me tonight?"

"What's wrong with that? This way you aren't surprised."

"Can I get you anything else?"

Jared's eyes didn't leave mine as he responded, "Just the check please."

I dropped my gaze to the table, fiddling with the soy sauce. Jared settled the bill, and we left. He draped a heavy, really hot arm over my shoulder. I looked up, startled. "Are you always this warm?"

"Yeah, I run hot," he said casually, leading me to his car and opening the door for me. "So, Cold Stone?"

"Sure."

When we got to Cold Stone, I ordered my usual. "Can I get a love it size, half dark chocolate, half mint with hot fudge and Andes?"

"Can I get the same thing, but in a got to have it waffle bowl?"

I looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. "You don't mean that's your normal order?"

"Actually, yeah. I like chocolate and mint," Jared shrugged and pulled out his wallet. We took our ice cream to a nearby table.

"I thought I was one of the only ones. My mom says it tastes like toothpaste and chocolate."

Jared grinned. "That's why my toothpaste is cinnamon."

"Spearmint. That way I can fully enjoy my ice cream." I sucked on my spoon in contentment.

"So, when's our next date?"

"I don't know. You haven't asked me on another one yet."

Jared contemplated his ice cream for a second. "This is true. So, would you like to go to the movies with me tomorrow?"

"Two nights in a row? Kinda monopolizing my time, aren't you?"

"Only if you want me to. If not, maybe we could get together next week?"

"Tomorrow's fine." What's the point in prolonging the inevitable? My crush was finally returning the affection, who am I to turn down a good thing? "What movie?"

Jared shrugged. "You can pick."

"What if I pick some kind of sappy romance?"

"You don't seem the type. You seem like more of a comedy girl." He shrugged. "I don't care either way. It's just another step in getting to know you."

"You're right; I prefer comedies."

"Okay then. So, we'll go see a comedy." Jared popped a huge spoonful of ice cream in his mouth in satisfaction.

"Sure." I scraped the sides of my cup, getting the last bits of ice cream and letting it melt on my tongue so the flavor would last. Damn, whoever invented mint ice cream deserved _serious_ props.

"Are you finished?"

I nodded. And maybe I wasn't playing fair, but I deliberately ran my tongue over my bottom lip slowly. It was so worth it, watching Jared's eyes zoom in on my lips and his ears turn pink. "Are you?"

Jared didn't respond. His gaze was firmly fixed on my lips. I cleared my throat and tried again.

"Are you finished, Jared?"

"What? Oh yeah, I'm done."

"Ready to go? I have to get home soon."

Jared looked like someone had just kicked his puppy. "Oh, okay."

"You're seeing me tomorrow," I reminded him.

"I know." Jared and I left Cold Stone and got into his car. We rode in silence for the most part, just listening to the radio. He actually walked me to the front door, which was very surprising.

"Thanks for dinner."

"You're welcome." Jared grabbed my chin gently and lowered his lips to mine. And that's about when my brain completely shut down. All I could think was, fuckin _finally_. Then he was running his tongue across my lower lip softly and my knees buckled. Without breaking our kiss, Jared pulled me into his arms, supporting my weight completely. When he pulled away, it took me more than a few seconds to start breathing normally. He grinned. "Good night, Kim."

"Good night, Jared," I managed out, turning to let myself in the house. Once I shut the front door, I leaned against it heavily, touching my fingers to my lips gently. "Holy fuck."


End file.
